The public debate
concerning the Israel-Arab dispute demands that someone with a legal
background and expertise respond in a competent and professional manner
to press allegations that Israel has been acting illegally and contrary
to international law in occupying the West Bank and Gaza Strip captured
by Israel after the 1967 Six Days War.

I have tried to
provide the reader with a relatively short description and analysis of
the main legal issues arising out of the long conflict within its
historical and political context so that the events are logically
linked and their relative importance is expressed in the paragraphing
of the text.

In the process of
preparing for this project I learned that an analysis of the legal
aspects of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Jerusalem
and Gaza did not make sense if I just started from 1967. I had to go
back to 1948. But even that was insufficient. In the end I opted- quite
arbitrarily for the late 1800’s with the advent of something
quite prosaic - a railway- because out of such small events, bigger
movements can be seen to develop.

While this work was
originally intended to view the conflict from an essentially Israeli
perspective, during its composition I have naturally had to learn and
understand the Palestinian position. This has caused me to view the
situation somewhat differently from when I originally embarked on this
project and to reconsider my opinion on a number of issues. I have
therefore tried to bring into my analysis a fair balance of the claims
made by both Israelis and Palestinians if my efforts are to be utilised
by those for whom it is intended.

Gerald M. Adler,

Haifa and Hove, August
2008

About
the author

Dr. Gerald Adler, now
retired from active professional practice, is an international lawyer
in more senses than one. Born and raised in the UK , he received his
undergraduate legal training at Osgoode Hall Law School , in Toronto ,
Ontario and his master’s and doctorate graduate degrees at
Yale Law School in the United States . He qualified as a
Barrister-at-Law in Ontario , as an Advocate in Israel and as Solicitor
in England and Wales . Since 1964, he has been constantly engaged with
law in all three countries – in academia, government, private
practice and in industry - until 2002. Since then
he has devoted his time and professional skills in trying to understand
the socio-political and legal aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict and
to pass on to others the fruits of his research.